(Arundinaria gigantea)
The Grass Family (Poaceae)

Tall, perennial grass, also called River Cane, with alternate, lance-shaped, evergreen leaves and woody, green, segmented stems.

Habitat: 

River banks, damp woods and bogs.

Interesting Facts: 

Only bamboo native to the U.S. found in dense thickets (canebrakes). Used for making fishing poles, baskets, mats and was a valuable building material for southern Native American tribes. Young shoots edible, seeds used as flour, and root extract used for kidney ailments. Host to the Southern Pearly-eye Butterfly.

Fruit: 
A single dry seed (a caryopsis) maturing in spring; plant dies after fruiting.
Flower: 
Green spikelets, 1.5 to 2.5”, scaly, on long slender stalks; blooms sporadically in the spring.
Wildlife value: 
Vital cover for large and small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Used as nesting material by birds; seeds and shoots eaten by mammals and birds.
Seeds
Leaf type: 
Simple
Pollinator: 
Wildlife value: 
Tree dimensions: 

Leaf length: 3.00-12.00 inches
Tree height: 3.00-30.00 feet

Where to find Giant Cane on the Louisiana State Arboretum Trails:

TER - Walker Terrace 20.0

WAB - Walker Branch Trail 3.0

Refer to our Live Map to locate this species and its interpretative signage on the trail system.